


Shugo Chara! X Persona

by IbaraKasen



Category: Persona Series, Shugo Chara!
Genre: Concept Work, Gen, High School Age Nudity Featured But It's Minor and Not Detailed, Possibly OOC, three-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 06:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6227269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IbaraKasen/pseuds/IbaraKasen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a while since the Guardians lost their Characters. They've moved forward in their lives, and most of them have entered high school. They've become normal teenagers, but nobody wants to be normal. Their lives once again begin to take a turn when Nagihiko's mysterious "Big Brother" sends him a package containing some strange cards...and a contract. A few days later Amu finds herself on the run from strange creatures when she steps outside after dark, only to be saved by a man in a mask and have a word echo through her mind: "Persona!"</p>
<p>A short, three-chapter blurb I wrote one night when I couldn't sleep. I think the worlds of Shugo Chara! and Persona rather compatible, so I tried to make a proof-of-concept out of it. Not sure if I'll end up following up on it. A lot of it is exposition, and I'm basing and adapting some details from what we've seen so far of the upcoming Persona 5. Other details are kind of random and there's a bit of inconsistent capitalization in regards to terms and all related issues may be a result of working while tired. Fair warning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Demons

“S-somebody help me!” Amu screamed as loud as she could as she ran through the streets. Something definitely wasn't right on this night-stroll-turned-nightmare – it was like nobody else existed, like they all vanished without turning off their lights. Nobody was there to hear Amu scream when these black... _creatures_ made their way out of the shadows and began chasing her. Even as she began running into the small shopping district near her home, the lights were on in the small number of 24-hour convenience stores, not a single person was visible through any of the windows – no customers, no clerks behind the counters, no one.

 

“ _Why did this all start when Nagihiko brought us that stupid box?!_ ” she thought to herself. Thinking back to just a few days ago, when Nagihiko had brought a package that he got in the mail with him to school. Just after the last bell rang he gathered everyone together to open it before their extracurricular clubs met.

 

“What's this?” Rima had asked flatly, looking at the small box and letter on Nagihiko's desk.

 

“A package,” he replied with a snarky tone. “My brother sent it to me.”

 

“Nagi-kun has a brother?!” Yaya exclaimed. “You never told us that!”

 

“Well, he's not exactly my brother...” Nagihiko said, leaning back in his chair.

 

“A couple of years before we all got together, Nagihiko-kun's family hosted a foreign exchange student,” Tadase explained, having known Nagihiko the longest of the group.

 

“We've been keeping contact through emails, but it's always been normal life stuff, so I never really thought to share any of it...” Nagihiko said. “But now he sent this package without a word, and a letter that said to open it with all of you. But the other stuff it said was...well...”

 

“Well what?” Rima asked. “Out with it.”

 

“Here, read it for yourself,” Nagihiko said, taking the letter out of its envelope and handing it over. The group of friends all huddled tightly together, trying to read all at the same time.

 

“ _Nagihiko, I hope you're doing well. Unfortunately I don't have time for pleasantries with this letter. Take this package and open it up with your friends – there's something inside that I'd like all of you to have. What it all is will be a mystery to you, but I promise I'll explain it all myself when I get to Japan. Oh yeah, I'm coming to visit. Well, to be honest, it's more like business. Actually it's all business, but it will be nice to see you again and meet your friends. The truth is I need your help – we need your help. Inside the package will be a piece of paper – a contract. The terms are very simple, but very important and very binding. I know by now you're all missing your guardian characters deeply, the strength and the confidence that they gave you. But now that they're gone, you all have the potential to reach for a far greater power – one that will give you the strength to protect everything that matters, should you have the fortitude to master it. Signing this contract will put you all one step closer to that power, but it will also put you on a path that one day you may regret. Such is the nature of these things. Make your decisions, and should you accept I implore that you keep the items in that box with you at all times. This world is more dangerous, and the rabbit hole far deeper than you may wish to know. I will not think any less of any of you should you wish to decline. I'll see you soon. Your Big Bro, Kaoru_ ”

 

“Kaoru?” Kuukai wondered aloud. “I thought you said he was an exchange student.”

 

“It was a use-name that he started going by in his Japanese Language classes,” Nagihiko said. “But that's besides the point, don't you think?

 

“That little box has things for us to keep...and a contract?” Amu wondered. Nagihiko reached for the box, cutting the tape with a pair of scissors from his bag. The moment of truth came, and inside the box was a folded piece of high-quality parchment paper and a small stack of cards. They each took one, but they all looked identical – A light blue border surrounding a blue-and-white checkerboard background on which a simple white theater mask was printed. A scroll-like design at the bottom read the words: “ _Memento Mori_ ”. The back was blue with a textured pattern.

 

“Is this it?” Kuukai asked, flipping his card over repeatedly like he was trying to find a hidden secret somewhere on it.

 

“Some important item, alright,” Rima said sarcastically.

 

“I don't know...” Tadase said, staring at his card. “Call me crazy, but something about these cards feels...empty. Like it's a canvas waiting to become a painting.”

 

“I think you're reading too far into it,” Kuukai said, waving his card at Tadase in a nonchalant manner.

 

“What does the contract say?” Amu asked, prompting everyone else to remember the parchment sitting on the desk. Nagihiko unfolded the paper gently, but there was only one short sentence on it above a place for everyone present to sign: “ _I will accept all responsibility for my own actions from here on._ ” The text was in English, written in a fancy, nigh calligraphic style that took a moment for them to actually decipher. They were indeed simple terms, and yet just like the letter said, they carried an immense weight.

 

“This is all starting to sound kinda' scary...” Yaya said, staring at the paper.

 

“Do you really believe any of this?” Rima asked.

 

“Well, our Characters existed, that's a fact,” Tadase said. “Would it be so hard to think that they're related to something else, potentially stronger than they were?”

 

“Still, it wouldn't hurt to just hold onto the cards, right?” Amu said. “Even if they do nothing, it won't hurt anything to keep them.”

 

“And the contract?” Rima asked.

 

“I'm signing it,” Nagihiko said. The others turned their heads.

 

“You're really going to?” Kuukai asked. Nagihiko nodded.

 

“We don't really talk often anymore,” Nagihiko said. “But I can't remember him ever sounding this serious about something. Actually, he said before that his job was some kind of special officer situation, and now I'm starting to think this all has something to do with it. Something he can't do alone, and he's going so far as to ask us for help. It's making me worried about him, which is why I'm going to go along with it and help him.”

 

“Alright then, if you put it that way...” Kuukai said, whipping out a pen and putting his name on one of the signing lines. “I can't just let you go about it alone.”

 

“Those were my thoughts exactly,” Tadase said, reaching for his own pen. One by one the friends all agreed and signed the contract, leaving off with Rima. After she wrote down her name she spun the parchment around and handed her pen to Nagihiko.

 

“This better be worth it,” she said. Nagihiko quickly signed his own name, but the instant he lifted the pen from the paper it caught fire in the center, causing the group to quickly jump back. Eerie blue flames quickly spread from the center of the paper outwards, devouring it until the last corner vanished without even leaving ash behind.

 

“So this whole thing was a prank!” Rima exclaimed.

 

“What in the world was that?” Kuukai said, his eyes still wide. Amu stared at the spot where the paper used to be, a strange twisting feeling forming in the pit of her stomach...

 

And before she knew it, without thinking Amu had run onto the Seiyuu Elementary school grounds. She instinctively ran to the place that made her feel so safe just a few short years ago, but there was nowhere for her to hide now as more of the creatures in various shapes and sizes came out of the many shadows surrounding the buildings. Sinking to her knees, Amu tried desperately to make her peace in these final moments of her life. Silently apologizing to her friends and family, she braced herself.

 

And the sound of gunfire burst through the air. The creatures wailed as they died with the sickening sound of their very flesh melting and fading from existence. Amu's eyes shot open as she quickly scanned the area. There were still plenty of monsters around, but they too were frantically searching for their assailant. Something drew Amu's eyes to the top of the school building where a single figure stood in silhouette against the crimson moon.

 

With a single fluid motion this figure leaped from the top of the school, easily slaying the monsters that jumped up to attack him with both gun and sword. He landed miraculously without injury and burst forth, slaying everything in his path as he made his way toward Amu. When the last monster in his path was dead he walked calmly up to Amu and kneeled before her. Most of his face was covered by an extended opera-like mask, but when looking into his eyes Amu felt safe for just a moment.

 

“Are you hurt?” he asked. Amu couldn't get any words out of her throat. She wasn't hurt, other than a couple of scratches, but she was so utterly shaken that she just couldn't speak. But when a low rumble came from behind her, her voice returned with a gasp as she turned and scrambled back toward the strange man.

 

“W-what are these things?!” she asked in horror.

 

“Demons,” the man said. “Shadows of the human psyche, our darkest thoughts given form in this irregular space.”

 

“What?” Amu asked, unsure if she even heard him correctly. Demons? Actual demons? Here, in her town – her world?! The man placed a reassuring hand on Amu's pink little head before standing up and walking forward to face the massive, dog-like demon that had come out of nowhere.

 

The mysterious masked man fought the beast with an air of disturbing professionalism. He landed blow after blow with his sword and pelted it with bullet after bullet from the sub-machine-gun in his left hand, but they hardly slowed it down. And while she sat there, nearly paralyzed with fear and exhaustion, Amu could only watch and realize how all of those ineffective strikes were due to him trying to stay between her and the demon. He might be able to easily dispatch even this massive thing if she wasn't there, needing to be protected.

 

“ _This isn't right..._ ” Amu thought to herself. “ _He needs help, but all I can do is sit here... If Dia were still here, I could..._ ”

 

Amu's last remaining guardian character, Dia, returned to her heart and into the Road of Stars what already felt like an eternity ago. And with her disappearance Amu lost the last remaining bit of her power. The power that she had used to help people – to defend their hearts from darkness and torment. She tried to get along, day after day. But the truth was that every waking moment she wished she could go back in time, to the days when she had the power to make a difference, to help people in a way that they needed, even if they didn't know they needed it. Ever since that day she had gone back to being _normal_. Just another kid who wanted to be somebody, and not fade away into uniformity.

 

A sudden warmth emanated from Amu's pocket. Catching her attention, she reached in and pulled out the card from Nagihiko's package. She had forgotten she still had it with her – or maybe it placed itself in her pocket without her noticing. It pulsed softly with a faint light as the image within the border seemed to shift and move. The plain, nondescript mask warped as Amu's face reflected on the card's polished surface. As it began to take shape, a whisper from the back of her mind made it to the forefront.

 

“ _I am thou... And thou art I..._ ”

 

The reflection grew clearer as the mask began to stabilize its shape. It appeared on the card as though Amu was wearing the mask on her own face, and the pulsing light grew brighter.

 

“ _I am thou... And thou art I... The time has come. Open thine eyes, and call forth what is within!_ ”

 

The card caught fire with a spectral blue flame as a single word appeared in Amu's mind. Taking in her breath, she tried to shake it out.

 

“Per...so...na!”

 


	2. Awakening

Power. That was the only way to describe what Amu felt surging through her body, her blood, her very soul. The flame spread, engulfing her body from head to toe. Her whole body shuddered, feeling like it was going to be torn apart by the power flowing into it. She screamed as it was released – tearing the clothes from her skin, absorbing her, molding her. It stuck to her skin, becoming solid as it formed itself into new clothing. As the change spread outward, the last place the heat lingered was her face, the blaze lingering as it formed into a hard mask.

 

When the whole process had finished Amu stood motionless as her body came down from the high. Even when she regained her senses she could feel so much energy coursing through her, it was hard to calm down. She took a moment to look at herself, and her elation practically turned into mortification.

 

She was now wearing some kind of gold-and-black getup with knee-length boots, short-shorts, some kind of corset and long lacy gloves with a whip in her right hand. The various pieces of her outfit had bits of armor – shin guards on her boots, two lengths of metal plating on her hips, various golden metal decorations on the corset with a prominent strip stretching across her back and spiraling in on her breasts, and golden gauntlets over the hands and forearms of her black gloves.

 

When she noticed the masked man looking at her, Amu hastily tried to cover herself up and yelled at him not to look. He jumped back toward her and thrust his gun at her.

 

“Take it,” he said.

 

“W-what?” Amu asked, still in shock.

 

“Take it and use it,” he said. “Hurry, that thing's getting back up. Do you know how to fight?”

 

“I-I don't...” Amu stuttered. “I sort of used to, but this kind of thing is just...!”

 

“Calm down,” the man said. “Putting on your mask gives you a certain...talent for it. Move as your instincts tell you, but be careful. For now it would be best if you take the gun and stay in the back. Don't worry about bullets, it fires projectiles made from your spirit power.”

 

“Spirit power?” Amu asked, nervously hanging her whip on a clip at her waist and taking the gun from him.

 

“I can explain later,” he said. “Just point and shoot, and try not to hit me.”

 

“Okay...!” Amu said, trying to steel herself. The masked man raised his sword and charged back at the dog demon. He slashed at its legs, trying to keep it down, leaving Amu free to aim at the rest of its body and fire away. At first the recoil made her miss several shots, but she found herself surprised at how fast she was adjusting to it.

 

“Aim for the head!” the masked man called to her. “Deal some damage and we can finish it off!”

 

“Okay!” Amu called back, shifting her aim from its body to its face. The beast glared at her with a dark fire in its eyes. Even though it looked like a dog, that menacing look made it surprisingly easy to shoot at without guilt. She fired round after round at it until it pushed the man away and made a swipe for her. Without thinking she managed to jump back, grab for her whip, and strike it across the face. The strike from her weapon released a strange miasma from the wound. The masked man called to her again.

 

“Now! Tear off your mask!” he yelled. Amu complied, reaching up with her right hand and placing a couple of fingers at the edge of her mask. He did likewise and together they pulled, breaking their masks off into shards of flame. The flames spun around them and formed chains which connected them to ghostly figures. A mighty warrior, armored from the waist-down but otherwise clad only in a lion's pelt brandished a large stone sword, standing stalwartly behind the unmasked man. Behind Amu stood a woman, armored on her legs and arms, her face hidden behind a war helm, brandishing a spear and a shield.

 

“Heracles!” the man called.

 

“Hippolyta!” Amu yelled, unaware if she'd even heard that name before. Together the two ghostly figured surged forth, attacking the demon beast with their weapons. With two simple motions, its neck was cut and its heart pierced. It fell, howling as its body sublimated into the ether.

 

Amu once again fell to her knees as the strength rushed out of her body. The figure disappeared as her clothes burst into blue flames and disappeared. Suddenly out of breath, Amu was panting as the man's outfit burst into flame and remade itself as an ordinary set of clothes. He started walking toward her, and her face immediately turned a deep red as she desperately tried to cover her shame. And yet, without a word, the man took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

 

“I'll walk you home,” he said. “It will still be a little while until this space disappears, and lesser demons are still roaming around the place.”

 

Amu nodded silently and hastily threw her arms into the jacket's sleeves and zipped it up. Fortunately it was long enough to at least cover her down to her thighs. The two started walking as Amu led him toward her home.

 

It was awkwardly silent between the two of them, but Amu wasn't sure what to say. As they walked down the lonely street, a thought crossed her mind.

 

“Who are you?” she asked.

 

“I think you already know,” he replied.

 

“You're...Nagihiko's brother, aren't you?” she said. He nodded.

 

“I work for an international organization known as the Shadow Operatives,” he said. “Those of us who can use the power of Personas work to eliminate demons inside of shadow worlds. They're like small bubbles of space where the world we live in and the world of our minds overlap. If demons grow too large in number, they begin to have an unhealthy effect on the regular world.”

 

“I...don't really understand,” Amu said. “That power...is called Persona? That word flashed in my mind before, but...”

 

“Don't worry about it too much,” he said. “Just let yourself rest for a while. The initial awakening of a persona is...draining, to say the least. You look like you can barely stand right now.”

 

“Y-yeah...” Amu said, looking away. “So, these shadow world things... Normal people can't be in these, right?”

 

“Only those with Personas, or the potential to awaken them can wander into a shadow world,” he said. “Finding yourself inside one when your power is on the cusp of awakening isn't unusual, which is another reason people like me are needed to patrol inside of them. But with some knowledge and training you'll be able to subconsciously resist being pulled into them unless you want to be, so you won't be caught unawares.”

 

“And what about other people?” Amu asked. “Will anyone even know where I am right now?”

 

“No, when you're inside these spaces it's as if you just vanished from the regular world,” he explained. “Even if it might seem like you can interact with things here, you can't. If you move something or break something, when the space returns to normal you'll find that nothing was changed on the outside. The only things that can truly be changed here are living things – that is, Persona users and demons.”

 

“So, um...does that mean when I go back to the normal world my clothes will be there...?” Amu asked, her blush coming back. He scratched his cheek with a slight blush of his own.

 

“Um, not exactly...” he said. “I don't really know why, but until you learn how to transform without damaging your clothes, they'll return to the normal world as a pile of ashes every time you use your power. Trust me, that's a normal thing to go through your first time, too...”

 

“Great...” Amu said. “That was one of my favorite shirts that blew up tonight...”

 

“Oh, sorry to hear that...” he said. They were approaching Amu's house, but she had one more question to ask before they parted ways.

 

“So what's going to happen now?” she asked.

 

“Well, unless you were part of the “Go Home” club at school, it might be a little awkward...” he replied. “As it would turn out, teenagers are prime candidates for awakening Personas. So when multiple students awaken, they tend to be shuffled into a new after-school club. I'm guessing that your friends are all going to follow you awakening in short order, so you'll be joining a local branch of the SEES.”

 

“SEES?” Amu asked.

 

“Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad,” he answered. “Though publicly it's known as the Student Extended Extracurricular Society. A mouthful, I know. Anyway, you don't need to worry about a thing. Give yourself a few days to recover. If you think you can try going to school then by all means go, but don't worry if you can't. I can get any arrangement done to excuse your absence.”

 

“Thanks...” Amu said. She felt like the moment she got through the door she'd collapse and sleep for a week straight.

 

“Also, you can hang onto my jacket,” he said. “If you feel like returning it, we'll be meeting again soon enough. If you need to contact me there's a notepad in one of the pockets I scribbled my cell number onto.”

 

“You're...surprisingly prepared,” Amu said.

“I came here knowing a situation like this was going to happen eventually,” he said. “Like I said, ending up without your clothes on the first time is normal. It's why I bought an extra long jacket in the first place.”

 

“Okay...” Amu said, turning to step up to her door. “This is my house.”

 

“Alright,” he said. “Oh, another thing. Along with the notepad is a special talisman. Well, it's not really a magic talisman or anything, but it's made to repel demons from a certain distance. Keep it in your room, and it will keep your house safe from demons. And... Tell Nagihi I didn't expect him to have such cute friends.”

 

Amu blushed as Nagihiko's mysterious brother laughed and walked away with a short wave. She went straight to her room and fell into her bed, barely remembering to take off the jacket and not even bothering with her pajamas. As her consciousness drifted off to dreamland, she thought to herself:

 

“ _The last thing I need is another...Ikuto..._ ”

 


	3. The Next Day

“Amu...Amu!” a voice called. Amu was roused from her sleep in a groggy haze. Nagihiko leaned with his arms on her desk, a sarcastic smile on his face.

“Good morning,” he said. Amu's head dropped right back onto her desk, prompting him to shake her shoulders.

“M awake...” she said.

“Amu, if you aren't feeling well you shouldn't come to school,” Nagihiko said, placing a small bag in front of her. “Come on, eat a cookie. It might give you enough energy to walk home.”

Amu began nibbling on a cookie with her eyes half closed. Nagihiko always made the best cookies... Remembering something, she perked up a little.

“Hey, Nagihiko, have you heard from your brother yet?” she asked. Nagihiko shrugged and shook his head.

“My mom said he called when we were at school yesterday, and that he's here, but...” Nagihiko trailed off. “He hasn't said a word to me. No text, no email...”

“That's strange, I thought he would...” Amu mumbled. Nagihiko raised an eyebrow.

“Why's that?” he asked. Amu's eyes shot open in surprise.

“No reason!” she said quickly. “Just, if he's already here, you'd think the first person he'd see would be you, right?”

“I guess,” Nagihiko said. “But he said he was here on business, so I guess he just hasn't gotten a chance to get away for a while yet. Still, it would be nice if he said something, that jerk.”

“Who're you calling a jerk?” a voice called from the doorway. Amu, Nagihiko, and several of their lingering classmates turned their attention to the man leaning against the door frame of their classroom. Wearing baggy black pants with metal studs and a black shirt with “NO FUTURE” written in English around a skull, he was very much out of place among the high school students and their straight-laced uniforms.

He walked toward Nagihiko and Amu, his boots making a decent thud on the floor with every step. Leaning toward Nagihiko's face with a smile, he suddenly flicked his forehead before standing straight up.

“So, who were you calling a jerk?” he asked.

“You,” Nagihiko said. “You've been here for almost a week and I don't get a single email?”

“Didn't your friend here tell you I was busy?” he asked, pointing a thumb toward Amu. Nagihiko looked at her surprised.

“You've met her already?” he asked.

“It wasn't exactly supposed to be a secret,” his brother replied. “We had a bit of a chance meeting the other night when she was out for a stroll. Didn't she tell you?”

“Not a thing,” Nagihiko said. If Amu didn't know better, she'd think he was pouting.

“Well, you can hear the details later,” his brother said. “I actually came here to collect you two. Come with me.”

“As much as I'd like to go and talk, we need to get to our club rooms soon,” Nagihiko said. His brother smirked a little.

“No you don't,” he said. “I already got permission to drag you along with me today. The two of you are all mine! I even got your friend a drink that will fill her with energy. Aren't I nice?”

“You're sounding a little funny,” Nagihiko said. “What's going on?”

“You signed the contract, and your friend has already awakened,” his brother said, leaning in close to whisper. “There's something I've become aware of that I need to speak with you two about – alone. You need to come with me.”

“Let's go, Nagihiko,” Amu said, standing up with a bit of a wobble. “It sounds important.”

“Alright, if you say so, Amu...” Nagihiko said. “But I'm starting to wonder just what's going on with you two.”

Nagihiko and Amu were led out of the school building and to a larger part of town. The three of them walked into a park and found a quiet place next to a fountain. Not many people were hanging around, giving them some measure of privacy.

“So, what exactly happened between you two?” Nagihiko wasted no time in asking. His brother looked to Amu before covering up a smile.

“Do you want to hear about before or after I saw her naked?” he asked. Nagihiko went stone-faced as Amu choked on her drink. His brother just started laughing and waved his hand. “Don't worry, don't worry. It was strictly business. No, wait, that doesn't sound right either.”

Nagihiko looked between his best girl friend and his brother with an astonished look plastered on his face. Amu shrunk herself as much as she could and buried her face in her arms. His brother shifted himself into business-mode and looked at them straight.

“I'll be blunt,” he said. “When she awakened her Persona her clothes burned to ashes. I gave her my coat and walked her home, that's all.”

“Persona?” Nagihiko asked. “Burned to ashes? What are you talking about?”

“I told you in my letter that having met your guardian characters means that you're far more likely to unlock a greater power, right?” he said. “That power is called Persona. It grants you a mask – a new identity with which you can fight. Summoning your mask replaces your clothes with another outfit matching your most personal Persona, but unless you know how to keep your clothes intact the process will burn them down to nothing. It is strange and unfortunate, but I guess shedding your dignity is just part of the process.”

“You're not making any sense,” Nagihiko said. “Summoning a mask burns away your clothes?”

“It would be easier to show you than to tell you,” his brother said with a shrug. “And that can be done later. What's important right now is that you know you're very likely to awaken soon, and the two of you are the most likely candidates to have a...special kind of power from Persona.”

“A special kind?” Amu asked. “What does that mean?”

“Among Persona users, most people are limited to using a single Persona, which under rare circumstances may change and become more powerful, but still they're limited to that single one,” he explained. “But there are some who have the power to use more than one Persona, potentially many different kinds. This power is called the Wild Card. Since you two had more than one guardian character, you're more likely than your friends to manifest the Wild Card power.”

“Why is it called the Wild Card?” Amu asked.

“Personas are categorized based on their association with certain traits, defined as the traits of tarot cards,” he continued. “The specifics about that aren't really important. What is important is that you need to be aware if you do manifest the Wild Card, then... Well...”

“Is something wrong?” Nagihiko asked. His brother shook his head.

“If you happen to meet a man with a giant nose in your dreams, let me know,” he said. “If you don't then it's not important, but if you do, then there are some things I'll need to teach you about. And... I'm sorry about dragging you guys into this. I'd really rather not resort to this, but...”

“I trust you,” Nagihiko said, surprising his brother. “I really don't know what's going on here, but... I'll believe you. All of this stuff with your job is clearly stressful, so if there's anything I can do to help I'll do it.”

“Thanks...” his brother said, tearing up a little. “You really are the best little brother I could ever have. I've been given an apartment to stay in while I'm here, but I'll be coming over for dinner later tonight. After that we can hang out in your room and I'll try to explain things a bit more clearly. One last thing, I don't want you to keep secrets from your friends, but I'd rather you not tell them anything yet. It's better if a Persona awakens on its own, without trying to force it. Forced awakenings can have all manner of complications. I'll be keeping an eye on them, so don't worry, alright?”

“Alright,” Nagihiko said. “But could you please tell me what happened when you two met? I really don't want to start thinking of you as a pervert, Nii-san.”

“Oh, little brother,” he said. “Everyone's a pervert, the only difference is how big of one they are and how much they own up to it. But like I said, that was all business. I was patrolling the area when a shadow world opened up. Shadow worlds are like little pockets of space that cross between the realms of mind and matter. Within them the power of Persona can manifest itself, as well as what we use the power of Persona to fight against – demons. Demons aren't actually evil spirits – they're the shadows of humanity's unconscious mind. They are what we hide, what we fear, but they are still a part of us. The problem comes when demons begin to arise in massive numbers – this has some nasty effects on the physical world, or more specifically, the people who live in it. As demons are the dark parts of our collective psyche, having mass numbers of demons floating around people in the other world drags our spirits down, making people feel depressed, hopeless, and eventually giving into what people call Apathy Syndrome, as the darkness of our own hearts crushes our will to live.”

“Okay, but you're not really answering my question,” Nagihiko said.

“Patience, Nagihi,” his brother said, wagging a finger back and forth. “If you don't understand the background information, the details will only leave you more confused. So what happened was your friend here slipped her way into a shadow world one night without knowing. She decided to go for a late night stroll, and found herself being chased by demons. I was able to catch up with her just in the nick of time and fended off the weaker ones. Then a big one appeared. I was doing my best to fight it off and keep it away from her, when all of a sudden she awakens her Persona – Hippolyta, an Amazonian queen, if you were curious. Her Persona granted her some measure of armor, so I give her some of my equipment and she helps me destroy the giant demon, but as I said before, the initial awakening of a Persona burns your clothes to ashes so...”

“So when Amu ran out of power, her armor vanished but because her clothes were burned to ashes...” Nagihiko said.

“She was completely exposed,” his brother finished. Amu had already returned to shrinking herself, wishing she could be an ant and crawl away.

“So I'm guessing the whole situation meant you two never actually got introduced,” Nagihiko said. “Since you don't seem to know her name.”

“That we haven't,” his brother said. “My name is... Well, just call me Kaoru. It's probably easier for you to remember that.”

“Amu...” Amu said meekly. Kaoru sighed, stepping over and placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Amu, trust me, I took no pleasure in seeing you like that,” he said. “My awakening happened when I was with a group, and it traumatized me for months. I've been assigned a female partner while I'm here. She's also a Persona user so you'll be learning how to control your transformations from her in the safety of a women's locker room. You don't have to worry about any prying eyes.”

“Thanks...” Amu said, still to embarrassed to raise her head.

“Cheer up,” Kaoru said. “Nagihi, back me up here.”

“How am I supposed to know what to do here?!” Nagihiko asked. “Come on, Amu, let's go do a little shopping. Nii-san's treat.”

“...You little-” Kaoru started. But he smiled. “It's fine. That's the least I could do to start making up for it.”

“Alright...” Amu said, putting her feet back on the ground and standing up. She looked up at Kaoru for just a moment, but he gave her a soft smile and stepped to the side.

“Shall we, m'ladies?” he asked. Nagihiko lightly punched him in the arm, but he just laughed it off.

“Let's go, Amu,” he said. “I feel like getting something expensive today.”

Amu giggled a little bit at their antics, following a couple of steps behind them. At the end of the day they really did get along – a fact that kind of relieved her. All of this talk of demons and Personas was a bit overwhelming, but having someone that Nagihiko trusts to help them out set her a bit more at ease. This was the beginning of something new – the next chapter in their lives was finally being written. And it was all so exciting!


End file.
